


Take Me Back

by syriala



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Getting Back Together, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Tony, M/M, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2017-10-17
Packaged: 2019-01-18 15:38:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12391092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syriala/pseuds/syriala
Summary: Tony might have broken up with Bucky and Steve, but that didn't mean the last word about this was spoken. Bucky and Steve had something to say to this too.





	Take Me Back

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Let You Go](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12390993) by [syriala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/syriala/pseuds/syriala). 



Tony wasn’t proud to admit it but he was hiding in his workshop.

He had promised himself he wouldn’t do that, that he would, and could, be happy for Bucky and Steve, be civil and support them, but he needed some time before that could happen.

And so he was hiding away.

He kept tabs on them, mostly to avoid running into them when he left the workshop for food or sleep, but also to confirm that they were still together and that him breaking up with them hadn’t strained their relationship.

From what he could gather through Jarvis data they were spending even more time together than they did when he had still been with them.

So his decision had been the right one after all.

It hurt him, it hurt like hell to know that they had held back with him, that he had put them under some form of restraint simply by being with them, but it also cemented his decision. They wouldn’t have worked out and he loved them both too much to force himself on them. Especially Bucky who was still healing and didn’t know how to tell him off.

Tony was trying to put all thoughts of them out of his mind for as long as he could, catching up on a lot of projects and paperwork, and it worked, right until he stopped being busy.

When he gave himself a few minutes to eat, drink or rest, those two were all that occupied his thoughts and even though it had been over a week now it still hurt like hell.

And it got even worse when Jarvis announced that Steve and Bucky were making their way down to his workshop.

Tony hadn’t denied them access, after all there were still missions they needed to talk about, and how to improve armor and weapons, so Steve and Bucky were able to waltz right in.

“I don’t want to see you,” Tony told them without even turning to them, but he could just imagine the stubborn set to Steve’s jaw and how he would cross his arms in front of his body, and how Bucky would keep just half a step behind Steve, scowling but otherwise appearing relaxed.

“We need to talk,” Steve announced and Tony took a deep breath before he turned around and yep, stubborn jaw, crossed arms, scowling. It was all in place.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” he told them and Steve shook his head but Tony continued. “I already told you what I had to say and there is nothing more for me to add to that.”

“You broke up with us because of the wrong reasons,” Steve said and Tony couldn’t help but laugh at that, even though it hurt, it hurt so badly.

“So you are telling me there are right reasons?” he asked them.

“Probably,” Steve admitted. “We are just human and if you don’t like the way one of us laughs or that I snore or that Bucky eats like a pig, those are right reasons for you to break up with us. But not because you think we don’t love you, or that we don’t love you enough. Because that is just bullshit and I won’t let you destroy what we have because we haven’t made ourselves clear.”

“And what would you like to make clear?” Tony asked, resolutely not thinking about the things Steve just said and what they implied.

“I fell in love with you before I even really remembered what Steve and I used to have,” Bucky suddenly said and took Tony by surprise with that.

“What?” he asked and steadied himself on the table behind him.

“You were the first person to treat me like a human, and not like a PTSD riddled survivor and I fell in love with you long before I remembered that Steve and I used to be like that,” Bucky repeated and Tony shook his head.

“But you didn’t… I never knew that.”

“Because I didn’t tell you. But it’s true,” Bucky said and then nudged Steve.

“He doesn’t like talking about himself, he thinks it will get him punished again, and you know that,” Steve explained and Tony couldn’t look at them any longer.

“I do know that but that still leaves the other issue, doesn’t it?” he asked, and he resolutely squashed down that feeling of hope that started to bloom in his chest. Bucky might love him, but they said it themselves. They were together first. There was no place for Tony there.

“I love you,” Steve said immediately and without hesitation. “I love you, and I don’t love you more or less than Bucky. It’s not even that different. It’s just that we have history and you and I don’t have that much of a history yet. But it doesn’t make me love you less.”

Tony pressed his lips together to keep quiet, because he wasn’t sure what he would say if he started. But his heart was beating heavily in his chest and he just wanted to reach out for them.

“And we don’t work together like before,” Steve continued and before Tony could jump on that, because clearly Steve was talking about himself and Tony, Steve went on. “Bucky and I. We both changed so much and we don’t work like we used to. We work better together with you there.”

“So what? You want me to be the buffer so that you two can be happy together?” Tony asked and forced his voice to be cruel and steady.

“You are an idiot and lucky that we love you so much,” Steve sighed. “It means that we won’t be happy together because we need you to be there with us. We love you, Tony. There is no better or less here. We love you. Isn’t that enough?” Steve asked and Bucky clung to his arm.

It was a clear sign that Bucky was afraid, that he thought he needed protection and to think that Tony did that to him, by denying them, made his chest ache worse than everything before.

“Are you afraid you’ll lose me?” Tony asked Bucky, deliberately not noticing Steve at that moment.

Bucky didn’t say a word, but he nodded and he kept his eyes to the ground.

“You don’t…you don’t even touch me. How was I supposed to know?” Tony asked them and now Bucky looked up at him.

“You are so alive and fragile,” he whispered. “I’m afraid I’ll taint that; I’m afraid I’ll hurt you and make you less.”

“You wouldn’t,” Tony said with conviction and took a step forward. “You wouldn’t do that to me,” he repeated and held a hand out for Bucky.

Bucky looked at it for a few seconds before he let go of Steve’s arm and carefully came closer. He hesitated again before he took Tony’s hand but his grip was sure and steady.

“You won’t,” Tony said again and suddenly Bucky was hugging him.

“Please come back,” he breathed and Tony could hear the tears in his voice.

He looked over at Steve, who was still standing a few feet away.

“You chose the wrong reason to break up with us,” Steve told him again and then came closer to cup Tony’s face in his hands. “We love you,” he repeated before he brushed a kiss over Tony’s lips and Tony started to believe it that might be true.

**Author's Note:**

> You can always find me on my [tumblr](http://bloody-bee-tea.tumblr.com/)


End file.
